The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling lumbar support in relation to a car seat, and more particularly, to a lumbar support controlling apparatus for a car seat, for buffering impact on lumbar region of drivers at the time of backward collision, thereby improving workability of the steering wheel with less power and achieving comfortable driving with less fatigue.
In general, a driver""s seat and its assistant seat are separated by means of a console box, which is interposed therebetween. These seats are designed considering comfort to properly support the users by absorbing vibration from the road and thereby reducing fatigue. Because the weight and cost of a seat rate high in relation to the whole car, a lightweight and economical design is required.
In addition, stationery ride comfort permits a driver to take a stable pose when seated in the car, while driving comfort, or dynamic ride comfort, considers the vibration characteristics of the seat while driving, and holding capability permits the driver to keep his stable pose when he turns or drives winding roads.
The construction of the driver""s seat and the assistant seat is typically divided into a seat cushion, seat back and headrest. As for the seat cushion and the seat back, it has been widely known that a seat spring is mounted in a seat frame and a trim cover assembly covers the seat frame. A lumbar support may be fixed inside the seat frame of the seats. The lumbar support comprises a support plate for supporting the lumbar region of the passenger and a controller for controlling the support plate.
Because of an upright position of a human being, the man or woman receives much more pressure on the lower backbone than other vertebrae. This occasionally causes pains on the lower backbone or waist when sitting in chairs. The height of people varies during a day, that is, backbone disks swell up at night and compress in the daytime. If the disk as a basic frame of the backbone is not properly supported at the pelvic region, the spinal column, and the shoulder, the unhealthy backbone transformations may occur. The central nervous system serves to control basic life functions such as breathing, circulation of blood, heart pumping, fatigue, and concentration.
In this respect, the lumbar support may have a two-position controllable lever, which is exposed at one side, so that the driver may adjust its height in the seat frame with the lever.
FIG. 1 shows applicant""s prior construction of the controlling apparatus of the lumbar support suggested in KR Patent Application 1998-12970 by this inventor. The controlling apparatus is designed for use with a lumbar support, such as shown in FIG. 2.
This type of the controlling apparatus comprises: an adjustor 300xe2x80x2 that includes a housing 310xe2x80x2 in a hollow cylindrical shape and having a jaw 311xe2x80x2 at one end; a sleeve 320xe2x80x2 having a groove 321xe2x80x2 in engagement with the jaw 311xe2x80x2 of the housing 310xe2x80x2 for rotation and having an internal thread 322xe2x80x2; a body 330xe2x80x2 on which a screw 331xe2x80x2 is formed to engage with the internal thread 322xe2x80x2 and having a groove 332xe2x80x2 at the other end; handle 340xe2x80x2 outwardly exposed, from the seat back, in engagement with the sleeve 320xe2x80x2 for rotation; cable 350xe2x80x2 made of the flexible material, connected to the housing 310xe2x80x2 and one flange of the support plate; and release wire 360xe2x80x2 protruded within the cable 350xe2x80x2, one end having a fixation ball 361xe2x80x2 suspended on the groove 332xe2x80x2 of the body 330xe2x80x2, the other end having a fixation pin 362 to suspend the other flange of the locking member 40, such as those shown in FIG. 2.
In case that the handle 340xe2x80x2 is rotated in a desired direction, the sleeve 320xe2x80x2 having the groove 324xe2x80x2 corresponding to the protrusions 344xe2x80x2 of the handle 340xe2x80x2 is rotated in the same direction, and the body 330xe2x80x2 in engagement with the internal screw thread 322xe2x80x2 in the sleeve 320xe2x80x2 moves relative to the sleeve 320xe2x80x2. To prevent the movable body 330xe2x80x2 from rotating with the sleeve 320xe2x80x2, the movable body 330xe2x80x2 has a guide protrusion 333xe2x80x2, and the housing 310xe2x80x2 has a longitudinal guide groove 313xe2x80x2 for guiding the guide protrusion 333xe2x80x2 to be moved forward and backward.
Within the housing 310xe2x80x2, the fixation ball 361xe2x80x2 inserted into the groove 332xe2x80x2 of the body 330xe2x80x2, allows the fixation ball 361 and release wire 360xe2x80x2 to move integrally with the body 330xe2x80x2. By moving the release wire 360xe2x80x2 connected to the fixation ball 361xe2x80x2, the spacing between both flanges 43 of the locking member 40 is varied to cause the support plate 10 to protrude or bend outward in the center part thereof.
Between the flange 43 and the end of the release wire 360xe2x80x2, a spring is mounted as a tension means 400 to strongly pull the release wire 360xe2x80x2 with use of elasticity of the spring and reverting power of the support plate 10.
In applicant""s prior lumbar support controlling apparatus, the release wire 360xe2x80x2 is connected to the fixation ball 361xe2x80x2 to be inserted to the groove 332xe2x80x2. Spring elasticity of the tension means 400 and reverting power of the support plate 10 affect the body 330xe2x80x2.
The screw 331xe2x80x2 of the body 330xe2x80x2 is in strong engagement with the internal screw thread 322xe2x80x2 of the sleeve 320xe2x80x2 each other. The motion of movement becomes slow due to frictional resistance of the protrusions and the groove.
This makes the handle 340xe2x80x2 and the sleeve 320xe2x80x2 to be actuated by strong forces, thereby making it difficult for the old or the feeble to readily handle the apparatus.
Due to lack of workability, the lumbar support does not fully satisfy the driver""s need to reduce fatigue during extended travel by variably supporting the lumbar region of the driver and cannot adjust the precise lumbar support height depending on the driver""s conditions and thus the driver feels discomfort in driving.
The present invention is derived in order to resolve the problems of the prior art and has an object to provide a lumbar support controlling apparatus for a car seat with less power to improve workability and convenience.
The present invention has the other object to provide an improved lumbar support controlling apparatus for a car seat for adjusting an angle of the lumbar support to facilitate comfort driving.
In order to achieve the above objects of the present invention, there is provided a controlling apparatus for a lumbar support. The lumbar support comprises a support plate 10 which may protrude or bend in the center part thereof by selective curving and which has locking holes 12 at both upper and lower end parts of its main body. The support plate has a plurality of support wings 11 extending outwardly therefrom. The support plate may be an elastic plate spring interposed between upper and lower seat frames 2 of a car seat 1 for supporting lumbar region of a driver. Locking member 40 is fixed to the seat frames 2 by the locking holes 12 at the upper and lower end parts of the support plate 10. The housing 310 may be disposed within the seat 1, in a hollow cylindrical shape and having a jaw 311 at one end thereof. The controlling apparatuscontrols the height of the support plate 10 for supporting the lumbar region by controlling the spacing between the upper and lower flanges 43 of the locking member 40. A sleeve 320 has a groove 321 in engagement with the jaw 311 of the housing 310 and includes all internal screw thread 322 inside the sleeve 320. A body 330 has a screw 331 in engagement with the internal screw thread 322 of the sleeve 320 and includes a groove 332 at the rear end thereof. A handle 340 extends outwardly from the seat 1 and is in engagement with the sleeve 320 for rotation. A cable 350 made of flexible material, is connected to the housing 310 and to one flange 43 of the support plate 10. A release wire 360 is disposed within the cable 350, one end having a fixation ball 361 attached to the groove 332 of the body 330, the other end having a fixation pin 362 that may be attached to the other flange 43 of the locking member 40. A resilient tension spring 400 located between an end of the release wire 360 and the lower flange 43 of the support plate 10, maintains tension of the release wire 360. An elastic member 80 between the body 330 and the housing 310, for maintaining elastic tension of the tension means 400 and the elastic release force of the support plate 10.
The body 330 and the handle 340 are facilitated by maintaining the elastic spring of the tension means 400 and release force of the support plate 10 by the elastic member 80.